Feral
by NiamhyNiamhyNumNums
Summary: A teenage girl got attacked by a Balverine and must pay the consequences. Years later, still clinging to the shred of humanity left inside her, she stumbles across the Princess and Walter. As the girl decides to join the revolution, she captures the attention of a certain blonde sharpshooter.
1. Chapter 1

The pale moonlight shone through the ancient trees, casting shadows onto the frosty ground. The faint scent of gunshot smoke still lingered in the air. You could almost hear the fierce battle that must have taken place in this relativlely small clearing. The once rough bark on the trees were now slick with blood.

But there were no bodies to be found. From the visible splatters of blood it was clear that a quite a lot of people died or were injured, but all that remained was ash and cart tracks. Suddenly a shape moved through the trees and into the clearing.

It was a young girl about fifteen, she had pale skin with grey eyes and wild, curly, black hair that moved in the slight but chilly wind. She would have been quite pretty, if it were not for the claw mark that marred her young face. Fresh blood dripped down from the ugly wound onto the frosty forest floor.

How could have she been so reckless? All that she had been focused on was finding the men and joining the fight. Sure, she would have been whipped for it, but the thrill of the fight was more than worth the angry red scars that would join the rest on her back. But this was much worse than a few lashes.

It was her own fault really. She could hear the gunshots coming from the clearing, so she sped up to make sure she could fell a few of the hideous beasts before they fled. In her haste, she did not notice the stray balverine that was following her until it was too late. She turned around just as it swiped it's massive claws. She killed it of course, but the damage was already done. Now she was one of them. No, she wasn't one of them, she was still too human for that. They wouldn't accept her. Nor would she accept them.

Of course she could never go back to her village. The guards would shoot her on sight. No, the forest, with its twisting roots and grabbing branches was her new home. Her mother would think that she ran away, and would cry over her spot on the floor. Her father would be glad that her didn't have another mouth to feed in the harsh winter months, but he would miss her in his own almost emotionless way.

She quickly pushed those thoughts out of her head. It would not do to make herself sick for a home that she despised. At least she didn't have to worry about getting lashed again. Nobody would look for her, it was just too dangerous in the forest. After a few months, she would be completely feral and then the balverines would come. They would try to recruit her. She just hoped that she would still be sane enough to refuse. As she sat thinking in the bloodied clearing, she heard it.

Somewhere in the distance a wolf howled, long and sorrowful.


	2. Chapter 2

When she woke up, the sun was just peaking above the trees. It was frosty on the ground. She was freezing. The woman rubbed her arms to get some feeling back into them. As she got up, she moved one hand to her face and was pleased to note that she no longer had scars from the balverine attack three years ago. It had taken them so long to heal and she was just glad they were gone.

While pacing about the clearing, that had become her home, the twenty years old woman thought what she would need today. Shelter- she couldn't stay out in the open when winter was here, even with her tolerance for temperature change. Water, as she was almost out of it, luckily there were numerous streams where she could find water and if need be, she could melt snow in these winter months. Food-

Suddenly she heard a twig snap behind her. She tensed and whirled around. But there was nothing there. She cocked her head, listening with her balverine hearing but all she heard was her own frightened breath. She resumed her thoughts. Food she could find easily- the forest was teeming with wildlife. SNAP! She heard it again.

"Who are you?" A voice came from up above. A girl hung from a branch about three meters above her head.

"How, did you get up there so fast?" The woman asked.

"I asked. Who are you." The younger girl, pressed. From what the woman could she, the girl had brown hair tied up in a bun and fair skin. Her clothes were tattered and dirty but were obviously well tailored. She wore leggings with a short skirt, which suprised the woman- in her old village and all villages as far as she knew, women were not allowed to wear any form of trousers. Only skirts and dresses. Leggings were seen as mens clothes and women were ridiculed and shunned for wearing them. At least that was what it was like when she had last lived amongst humans. For all she knew times might have changed.

"I am Adderyn" she spoke, unused to speaking for this girl was the first human she had seen in years. The girl nodded and jumped down from the branch, landing right infront of Adderyn. On closer inspection, Adderyn noticed that she was no older than sixteen.

"I am the Princess of Albion, daughter of King Sparrow. I am no Balverine . But I can see that you are. Well almost. Come with me to my camp. I can give you food and warmth. For now. My mentor Sir Walter Beck is out hunting now, but he will be back soon. Come Adderyn." The Princess turned away and started walking into the trees toward a distant light.

Adderyn paused, hesitating slightly. She had no reason to either trust or distrust this girl. But she was still a stranger. The Princess as if sensing the the older girl's wariness, spoke without turning around.

"I promise that no harm will come to you when you are under my care. But I cannot just sit by and leave you in the cold to freeze to. So, come now." by the time the Princess had stopped talking, Adderyn was quite close behind her as the young woman had the cold feeling that she was being watched.

"Princess" Adderyn began, after they had been walking for a little while. "You said you knew I was a Balverine."

"Yes, I did." was the Princess' reply.

"Well, I was wondering why you haven't killed me yet." Adderyn spoke, looking anywhere but the young girl.

"Why on Earth would I do that?" The Princess laughed.

"Ummm. Well I don't know, maybe because I have dangerous beast?" Adderyn retorted.

"You haven't even changed yet. All other Balverines have, because the beast form will keep them warm in winter. Since you haven't I guessed that you want to stay a human. So I took a shot. And here we are." The Princess smiled, gesturing to the small campfire.

"Your crazy." Adderyn exclaimed.

"Wait until you meet Walter. In fact I think I hear him coming now." She smiled as a hulk of a man came bounding into the clearing, holding a dead deer on his shoulders. Adderyn and Walter stared at each other.

The Princess grinned."Adderyn meet Walter: my mentor and dearest ally. Walter meet Adderyn: my new friend."


End file.
